Rotary engine.



PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

J. FOWLER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED mm; 26.1906.

2 SHEETS-EHEET 1.

PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

J. FOWLER. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION I ILED JUNE 26.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WWI L zen of the United States,

JOHN FOWLER, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented March 6, 1906.

Application filed June 26,1905. Serial No. 267,088-

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that. I, JOHN FOWLER, a citiresiding at J ackson- Duval and State of I controlling-valve 10, arranged upon said head of the cylinder. The controlling-valve is also provided with a main steam-supply ville, in the county of pipe 12 and an exhaust-pipe 13. By turning Florida, have invented certam new and use the valve 10 in one direction or the other live ful Improvements 1n Itotary Engines; and I steam may be let into either of the pipes 8 or do declare the following to be a full clear, 9, thus permitting the engine to be driven in one direction or the other, as will be understood.

In the cylinder 1 is revolubly mounted a concentrically-disposed shaft 14, on which is secured a concentrically-arranged piston 15. On the piston 15 at equal distances apart are formed radially-disposed wings 15, of which there may be any suitable number, three of said wings being shown in the present instance as the preferred number employed in connection with the engine. The wings 16 are of such width that when opposite the inlet and exhaust ports in the head of the relates to improvements in means being provided ment of the engine may reversed.

rangement of parts,

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is outer sides of a side elevation of an engine constructed in ally-disposed casings 18, adapted to receive accordance with the invention. 2 is an t e outer portions of the abutment-gates 17 end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 1s a vert1- when the same are in their retracted posical longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4 is a tion. On t e gates 17 are arranged cenvertical transverse sectional view. Fig. 5 is an inside View, partly in section, of one of the cylinder-heads, showing the arrangement of the steam inlet and exhaust passages and ports therein and the rotary controllingvalve; and Fig. 6 is an inner side view of the cam-disk for operating the abutment-gates.

eferring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the cylinder of an engine, which is mounted upon a suitable base 2. The cylinder 1 is provided with heads 3, in one of which is arranged steam inlet and exhaust passages 4 and 5, which communicate with inlet and exhaust ports 6 and 7, also formed in said head adjacent to the inner wall of the cylinder. The inlet-ports 6 and 7 are preferably arranged adjacent to each the inlet and exhaust passages and adjacent to the inner wall of the cylinder, as hereinbefore described. t e passages 4 and trally-disposed outwardly-projecting rods 19, which pass through stuflihg-boxes 20, arranged on the casings 18. To the outwardly-projecting rods 19 are pivotally connected short links 21, to the free ends of w ch are connected levers 22. The levers 22 are pivotally mounted in the outer ends ofradially-projecting bracket-arms 23, and to the opposite ends of said levers 22 are pivotally connected the upper ends of operatingrods 24, the inner ends of which are slidably -mounted in sockets 25, secured to the adjacent head of the cylinder, said rods also passing through side brackets 26, projecting laterally from said head. On the rods 24, adj acent to the inner ends of the same, are formed laterally-projecting right-angularlydisposed arms 27, on the outer ends of which are ournaled antifriction-rollers 28, adapted to be engaged with a cam-groove 29, formed on the inner side of an operating-disk 30, which is secured to the drive-shaft 14, as rotary shown, whereby said shaft revolves the oper- IIO ating-rods 24, and the levers 22 will be actuated at the proper time to project and retract the abutment-gates 17 to permit the passage of the piston-wings. The arrangement of the abutment-gates 17 is suchthat when the same are in their projected position they will extend between the inlet and exhaust ports of the cylinder-head, thereby separating said ports, so that the inlet-ports will be between one side of said gates and the piston-wing, and the exhaust-ports will be between the opposite sides of the abutment-gates and the approaching piston-wing, whereby live steam entering the inlet-ports will expand against said side of the abutment-gates and the adj acent piston-wing, thus driving said piston at the same time the steam between the opposite side of the abutment-gates and the approaching piston-wing will be forced through the exhaust-port on this side of the abutment-gates. In the opposite ends of the piston is formed a concentrically-disposed annular groove or channel 31, in which is arranged a spring-projecting packing-ring 32, which is adapted to be forced outwardly into engagement with the inner walls of the cylinderhcads to prevent the entrance of steam between said ends of thepiston and the walls of said cylinderheads.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus I claim as new, and desire to secure by ters Patent, is

1. In a rotary engine, the combination with the cylinder having inlet and exhaust pasdescribed my invention, what Letsages and inlet and exhaust ports formed in one head of the cylinder, of a concentricallydisposed revolubly-mounted piston arranged in said cylinder, radially -'disposed wings formed on said piston, radially-disposed, reciprocating abutment-gates arranged in said cylinder to slide between said inlet and exhaust ports, casings arranged on said cylinder to receive said gates when in their retracted position, and means to retract and project said gates, substantially as described.

2. In a rotary engine, the cylinder having inlet and exhaust passages and inlet and exhaust ports formed in one head of the cylinder, of a concentricallydisposed drive-shaft revolubly mounted in said cylinder, a concentrically-disposed piston fixedly mounted on said shaft, springprojected packing-rings arranged in the ends of said piston, radially projecting wings formed on said piston to engage the side walls of said cylinder, abutment-gates slidably mounted in the sides of said cylinder to project between said inlet and exhaust ports in the head of the cylinder, a disk fixedly mounted on said drive-shaft, said disk having formed in one side a cam-groove, pivoted levers connected to said abutment-gates, jointed operating-rods connected to said levers, guide-sockets to receive the inner ends of said rods, a right-angularljr-projecting arm formed on each of said rods and means whereby said arms are adapted to have an antifrictional engagement with the cam-groove in said diskto actuate said rods and levers, and thereby reciprocate said abutment-gate at the proper time, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN FOWLER.

Witnesses:

H. J. CAssIDEY, E. R. HEDs'rRoM.

the combination with 

